1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to spring-loaded coil in case tape measures, specifically to those providing inside as well as outside dimensions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Carpenters and workers have had a long-standing need for a better tape measure which can measure inside as well as outside dimensions. The need is for one that will directly read the space between two facing walls as well as the dimension outside walls, which is two wall thickness' greater. This is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,131,695 which was issued to A. L. Stowell in 1939. Stowell lists the inside measuring feature as a first aim. This tape is manually pressed into a storage ring, building the coil toward the center. For this reason it becomes unwieldy at lengths above three meters.
Likewise, in 1952, William F. Dart proposed an easily read tape for both inside and outside dimensions in his U.S. Pat. No. 2,695,454. Darts tape is read at recessed pointers near the tape outlet. It is not really direct reading since the user must mentally add the case width to the pointer reading to arrive at inside dimensions.
In 1966 A. N. Anderson received U.S. Pat. No. 3,255,531. This device is truly direct reading. It reads the convex face of the tape through a viewing window on top of the case for inside dimensions. One drawback is that both sides of the tape must be printed with graduations, adding an increment of cost. Also this design required complex means to control the developed length of the tape as it travels to the top viewing window.
Witchger discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 1,987,652 a tape measure with a resilient band element which envelops and snugly fits the coil of tape. The band is secured at one end to the inside of the casing and acts to dampen the action of the coil spring and provide braking action to the tape throughout its entire range of operation.
Volz discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 2,072,538 a tape measure with a number of flexible spring fingers arranged circumferentially around the inside of the casing. The free ends of these fingers bear upon the coiled tape and guide it into a coil when the tape is pushed into the casing.
Hogan et al. disclose in U.S. Pat. No. 3,816,925 a tape measure with an elongate sliding brake member which locks the tape by forcing the tape against an abutment formation with a hollow into which a part of the tape is slightly flexed when the brake is applied.
Roe discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,703 a tape measure with a lock slide which locks the tape in any extended position by forcing the tape against the casing at the mouth of the casing. The retraction of the tape may be suppressed or stopped at any time be pressing on a pivoting button which applies brake pads to the edges of the spool around which the tape is coiled.
Czerwinski et al. disclose in U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,867 a tape measurer with a rib having a relatively high coefficient of friction mounted inside the casing so that a rapidly retracting tape will contact the rib and its speed will be retarded by the friction. The position of the rib is such that the tape does not normally contact the rib on extension.
Burton discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,155 a tape measure in which the excessively fast retraction of the tape is retarded by mounting the tape on a rotating carrier which wobbles at high speed. The wobble causes contact between the carrier and posts or curved structures arranged around the inside of the casing thereby reducing the speed of the carrier.
Kang discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,726 a tape measure with a stopping device which does not contact the tape itself. The push button device locks the tape spool by engaging a number of protrusions which extend from the circumference of the spool.